Let’s start this news sheet off with a big thanks to our sponsors San Miguel Beer, Hot Hed, Asian Tigers Group and JS Luwansa. The fact that the people behind these companies make an effort to support TeeSet is what makes days like this so enjoyable. Thanks Dan, Bob, Bill and Richard.

92, turned out to contest the 40th Anniversary Scramble. That’s 23 teams playing across the lovely course that is Pondok Cabe. A shotgun start saw us off at around 12.30 and pace of play was pretty steady, allowing for only short pauses to stock up on beers or hot dogs. The overcast skies never looked threatening but they did take the sting out of the day and made walking the course very enjoyable. I don’t think my 90 year-old caddie enjoyed the stroll as much as I did, but at least the cart he was hauling had one good wheel.

Let’s time warp back to the club house for a paragraph or two.

Some of the ladies from TeeSet and a Canadian photobomber

Numbers were building early for Sunday’s outing. The men’s change rooms are being renovated and that saw a move to the ladies with the ladies relocating to the VIP section. The staff and players handled this small inconvenience well. Adhe, the club secretary was busy collecting fees and selling Mulligans. A pretty simple task one would suspect, as it had been explained in earlier notices to the players, but anyways we do have some special people at TeeSet.

Some players were seen eyeing off the supply of cold San Miguel behind the registration table and security had to be called into to keep them out of the cold box. The beers were for after the game. Thankfully you could purchase beer from the Pondok Cabe restaurant and soon tables were filling up with teams and beer bottles. Both Adhe and Mila, from Pondok Cabe, did a wonderful job ensuring team information was being sent to the start in a clear manner. The usual suspects asked what format we were playing today, which forced me to start drinking early to take the pain away.

Then we were away, golfers scattering to all points of course. Being the President has its perks, and today I was group A from the 10th. Being President doesn’t help with your team being all present and accounted for at tee off time. Albert a late stay at the Bull & Vine was his usual fashionably late self. This allowed the Samurai Warriors to jump the Spin Dryers. Just as well as it took Albert a few minutes to tee up his ball, his hands were shaking so badly from the Grey Goose the previous evening.

The wonderful thing of the shotgun start with a large group is that on every fairway and nearby green you see your friends and waves are exchanged and progress is checked. But there is always one team that has to put that extra edge on the day. On Sunday, that team was the Tiramisu Terror Squad. A huge slice across one and a half fairways from the par 5 2nd hole, had members of the Presidential Guard believing it to be an attempt on the President. There we saw the Italian mob and their IRA hitman send a caddie across to steal our ball. Never in the 40 years of TeeSet has anyone so brazenly stolen a ball, it wasn’t even new as it had hit most trees that day. If it ain’t tied down it’s ours seemed to be the way the Cake Squad were thinking. A bit of tough postering to the female caddie and the discovery of Diarmuid’s ball in the drain finally saw them relinquish our ball. We guesstimated that Diarmuid must have hit that ball 240 metres to get it in the drain, one and a half fairways from where he should have been playing. Nice slice mate, we should have a prize for it next year.

The Ball Bandits. Interpol are on the lookout.

What did seem to be happening with most teams was that birdies were being made and putts were lipping out. It was going to be a close tussle to get amongst the wine bottles latter that day. Relief was in site when situated just after the 18th hole was the Hot Hed Dog Depot.

Dogs and beer available at the 18th/10th, perfect.

After completing the 18 holes without a blemish on the scorecard we believed we may be in with a show or would those lip out putts comeback to haunt us. Off to the clubhouse and handover the scorecard to today’s chief organiser, Roger. Then off to the showers. They say a picture paints a thousand words well you wouldn’t want to see that picture or read the 1000 words. Let’s just say prison showers spring to mind. Middle aged prison showers. Definitely a down side to the scramble is the dash to overcrowded and under showered locker rooms. I swapped my shirt and escaped from Dante’s Inferno.

Meanwhile back in the main room, preparations were underway for determining the winner. Some scorecards came via the Inferno others straight from the course. The main group of ladies huddled close to the scoring table. Meanwhile our visitors from the DOGS were building a tower of empty San Mig cans. The wine and the spirits were starting to flow, as well as the San Miguel & Bintang supplied by the TeeSet club. There was controversy over the Ladies Long Drive and it was fairly solved by myself and Roger awarding the prize to the official scorers, who just happened to be Roger and myself.

The Winners

Richard, Bill, Ezra & Howard Tigers on the loose take the chocolates.

2nd place the Flying Finns

The Samurais take low gross

The Tiramisu Team take 3rd spot.

Velma nearest the pin

Nearest the pin men

Nicolas with the longest drive with the persimmon driver

The birthday folk and some committee and sponsors at the cake cutting. We would like to thank Geoff for his generous birthday gift of wine for the lucky draw and to Michael for sharing numerous birthday bottles amongst the guests.

Lots more photos can be seen at this link

https://bit.ly/TEESETBIRTHDAY2023

As Dean said in summing up the day later at the Bull & Vine warm down. “There was a real happy buzz in the room” Helped by plenty of booze and camaraderie. The feeling was the same on the course as we chased birdies pars and eagles and to show you how close the chase was here are the final placings there were lipped out puts between hero and zero. What a great day

A special thanks to the committee of Roger, Dean, Bill and some special advice from Craig the ex-singing President. Teams and tee box sorted by a very patient Roger. Thanks to Adhe for handling the logistics on the day.

See you Sunday when the mighty TeeSet take on the other 40 year olds Pocksia in the battle of the zimmer frames. Get on down to Jagorawi by signing up on MyGolf2U. Captain Dean is looking for another player. Have you got what it takes?

Adios

El Presidente